Mailbox



.1. R. CROSSETT 2,430,916

MAILBOX Original Filed July 22, 1959 J.R CROSSETT,

A itomeys 14 I Inventor Patented Nov. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE MAILBOX Joseph R. Crossett, Wellman, Iowa Substituted forabandoned application Serial No. 285,985, July 22, 1939. Thisapplication April 18, 1947, Serial No. 742,379

21 Claims. 1

This is a substitute of my abandoned application Serial No. 285,985,filed July 22, 1939, allowed Dec. 6, 1939.

This invention relates to a mail box, the general object of theinvention bein to provide a holder in the box for holding coins, etc.,with means whereby the mailman can readily move the holder to dumpingposition so that the money or other contents Will drop into his hand,the parts being so arranged that he could do this even when he hasgloves or mittens on his hands.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the lid ofthe box can be easily opened without removing gloves or mittens, withmeans whereby upon the opening of the lid the flag indicator will bemoved to lowered position.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanyin drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is an edge view of the improved box showing the lid in closedposition and the flag indicator in raised position in full lines, withthe lid in partly lifted position and the flag in partly loweredposition in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a front view of the box.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the box with the lid removed.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In these views the numeral 1 indicates the box which has its top openand said top slopes downwardly and forwardly from its rear and said topis adapted to be closed by a flanged lid 2 which is hingedly connectedto the rear of the box as shown at 3. At the front of the lid adownwardly and outwardly extending lip-forming flange 4 is attached tothe lower edge of the front flange of the lid so that by pressingupwardly on this lip 4 the lid can be moved to open position and as willbe seen this can be done even if one has a glove or mitten on his hand.

The indicator flag is shown at 5 and has its standard 5 pivoted to anend of the box as shown at 6. A clip made in the form of a springtongue, as shown at l, is attached to an end flange of the lid and willreceive a part of the standard of the flag between itself and saidflange of the lid when the flag is in raised position and when the lidis raised this clip will push the signal fl rearwardly to a point whereit will drop to a depending position under the action of gravity. Thusthe flag does not have to be lowered by hand though, of course, it willhave to be raised by hand.

An elongated spring tongue 8 is located in the box for holding lettersor the like to the rear wall thereof.

A substantially U-shaped holder member 9 has its bight fastened to theinner face of the rear wall of the box adjacent one end thereof and alsoadjacent the top thereof. This member is provided with a short bottompart l0 at its rear end and intermediate the ends of the limbs thereofears I I depend from the lower edges of said limbs. A coil holder I2 iscomposed of an elongated bottom part 13, an upstanding rear wall [4, andthe short side walls I5 which extend forwardly from the rear wall butterminate an appreciable distance from the front end of the bottom wall.Upstanding ears [6 are connected with the bottom wall l3 at the frontthereof and one of these cars is formed with the finger engaging pieceI! which extends from the top of the ear and ears [8 depend from theside edges of the bottom wall [3 intermediate the ends thereof and theseears l8 are located inwardly of the ears II of the holder 9 and a pivotpin l9 passes through the two sets of ears for pivotally connecting theholder 12 to the outer holder 9. A filling 20 of solder or the like isplaced in the corner formed by the junction of the bottom wall l3 withthe rear wall M, the filling having a rounded outer face so as toeliminate a sharp corner at this point to prevent coins or the likesticking in the device.

As shown in Figure 5 the limbs of the member 9 slope upwardly andforwardly and, of course, hold the coin receiver 12 in the sameposition. Thus any coins or other objects placed in the member 12 willbe held therein but when these articles are to be removed it is simplynecessary for the mailman or other person to place his hand under thefront end of the wall l3 and use a finger for pressing upon the part IT,to depress the holder l2 so that the articles therein will slide downthe bottom wall l3 of the holder l2 as the same is moved to an inclinedposition and thus the articles will be deposited into the hands.

As will be seen from Figure 4 the front end of the bottom wall l3 withthe cars It is slightly wider than the front end of the member 9 so thatthe ears l6 will engage the outer surfaces of the front ends of thelimbs of the member 9 and thus act to frictionally hold the member l2 inthe position shown in Figure 5.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a mail box, a substantially U-shaped supporting member having itsbight-connected with the rear wall of the box and its limbs slopingupwardly and forwardly to form a space between said limbs which is openat the top and bottom, ears depending from the lower side edges of thelimbs adjacent their forward ends, a coin holder including a bottom, arear wall and "forwardly extending side walls, said holder being locatedbetween the limbs of the 'U-shaped member, ears depending from the sideedges of the bottom of the holder, means for pivotally connecting saidears to the ears of the supporting member and a bottom portion extendingbetween the rear portions of the limbs of the U-shaped member andagainst which the rear end of the holder rests when the holder isincoinholding position.

2. In a mail box, a substantially U-shaped supporting member having itsbig'ht connected with the rear wall of the box and its limbs slopingupwardly and forwardly, depending ears at the lower edges of the limbsintermediate the ends thereof, a bottom piece connecting the limbstogether at the rear thereof, a coin holder including a bottom part, arear wall and short side walls extending forwardly from the rear wall,ears depending from the side edges of the bottom part intermediate theends thereof and located between the ears of the U-shaped member, pivotmeans connecting the ears together, upstanding lugs at the side edges ofthe bottom part at the front end thereof for overlapping andfrictionally engaging the front ends of the limbs of the substantiallyU- shaped member andan outwardly extending part on-one of'said lugs forforming a finger piece.v

JOSEPH R. CROSSETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 640,763 Hale Jan. 9, 1900 719,474King Feb. 3, 1903 882,709 Palmer Mar. 24, 1908 1,207,499 Carpenter Dec.5, 1916 1,713,702 Konefes May 21, 1929 1,929,734 Evans Oct. 10, 19332,018,544 Carlson Oct, 22, 1935

